Deer Creek Middle School Students Competed in the 2018 KidWind Challenge

Deer Creek Middle School Students Competed in the 2018 KidWind Challenge

Posted on 05/10/2018

On May 9, a team of eighth-graders from Deer Creek Middle School, Mary Jane McCloskey, Ian Cameron, and Ben Karl, will travel to Chicago, Illinois to compete in the 2018 KidWind Challenge. The challenge is simple: build a wind turbine that produces as much energy as possible during one minute in a competition wind tunnel. Teams design around a standard generator. After that, it’s all up to their research, creativity, and application of science.

The Deer Creek team earned an invitation to the national competition after finishing 2nd in a regional event hosted by the Wings Over the Rockies Museum in April. In the weeks since, they’ve been working with engineering teacher Nathan Schwalen on hands-on concepts from electromagnetism, aerodynamics, and mechanical engineering. They’ve improved their initial blade and gearbox designs and are preparing to showcase the new turbine and their learning in Chicago.

Jeffco Public Schools has been providing educational excellence for more than 60 years. Our mission is to provide a quality education that prepares all children for a successful future.